Accustomization.

So......yesterday we moved the rest of the furniture back that we moved to allow for the painting of the bedroom floor. We levelled and secured the bookcases and unpacked the 12 boxes of books that have been lying around for weeks.Will removed the post that was riddled with termites and we now have a hole in the floor which we need to fill.The garden is looking good though the zucchinis (courgettes) and beans are faltering as we have not been harvesting as we should....well, we haven't really been here. 'Audrey' (the yam) is thriving and the lettuce, sweetcorn, broad beans are all looking good.We did a dump run in the afternoon and got rid of the old mower and lots of cardboard. Luckily the local dump was open so we didn't have to make the trek out to the back of Stanthorpe to the main tip. We need to get a key for the local dump as it is suppose to be locked up again after you leave.We popped into Stanthorpe for some shopping but forgot that it was Sunday....the supermarkets are not open here as they are in Brisbane but Spano's IGA was open so it was not a waste of time and petrol.We ate like Kings last night, big steaks and chips, corn on the cob, mushrooms and homemade coleslaw.We watched some TV until the power suddenly went off....somehow we are going to have to be careful with our use of the power we have available. It is difficult to predict what is and isn't using too much.We are doing Ok though as the solar panels are 10 years old and only attached to 2 car batteries...It would be good to upgrade it but you need money for that.I made sure I put a heavy box over the hole in the floor before getting into bed.We slept with the window open last night....though it was only allowed as I have fashioned a makeshift 'bug-keeper-outerer' from an old mosquito net.We still sleep under a net too but last night there was suddenly a loud buzzing in my ear and something touched my shoulder and I leapt up and switched on the torch but could see nothing.I knew something was in there with us and wondered how I was ever going to get back to sleep. A spider, though not a very big one, was stalking up the wall a few inches away on the other side of the net. I resisted the urge to squash it.After 15 minutes of waiting and searching for the buzzy intruder in vain, I switched the light out and settled back down as best I could. Sure enough it buzzed past my ear again as loud as an Acacia Ridge helicopter and landed on my arm.I leapt up again expecting to find a huge flying creature and found a small Christmas beetle as big as one of my fingernails on the sheet. No matter, it was unwelcome and I picked it up and threw it out of the netting.Will was oblivious to the whole of this drama as he soundly slept.I did get to sleep eventually despite the frog chorus from the dam, the scraping of the branches from the overhanging tree on the corrugated iron roof, the hot water overflow dripping like a ticking clock, the distant sound of rifle fire and some creature skittering about on the old guitar and playing the low E string.It will take some time to get used to all this. We are off again tomorrow, back to Brisbane to do some work for Wendi and for my date with the Surgeon....we just can't wait to get some real Frogknot time without any interruptions.

Leaving Canberra.

So.....we drove back yesterday and did the whole trip in 14 hours, leaving at 11.00 am and arriving at Frogknot at 1.00 am ACT time but midnight Queensland time.Good old Roxy! What a trooper.....a trip of 2424 kilometres without skipping a beat and capping it all with a 14 hour return trip.We came back via Goulburn, where we had lunch then on up the Remembrance Highway between Canberra and Sydney. We by-passed Sydney on the M7 before heading towards Newcastle and turning off up the Hunter Valley to Cessnock before retracing our trip down from Singleton back to Glen Aplin via the New England Highway.We had intended to camp for the night at Burning Mountain. We stopped at Wingen for tea at the Tavern there. What a great place that was!...it was very friendly and welcoming with quick service. We bought tickets in the weekly weekend meat raffle but were unlucky. The landlord shook our hands when we left and wished us a safe journey.We stopped at Burning Mountain but it was a 2 hour return trip to the lookout and the Sun was already setting. We will have to do it again. We decided to just carry on and head home.It was a one suicidal kangaroo and three fox trip back. The kangaroo was just stood in the middle of the road and I had to swerve past it on the other side of the road. The foxes were a lot more quick witted and we only had fleeting glances of them......Tamworth, Armadale, Glen Innes and Tenterfield......and finally home.We had to shift the bed back into place after we moved it out to paint the floor before we left....but after that it was straight to bed.

Parliament House.

So...on Friday we were lucky enough to get a behind the scenes tour of Parliament House in Canberra. Tracy's sister Maria works there in the Senate for the Chief Whip.We drove into the city and parked in the underground carpark which is under the forecourt of the Parliament building and then walked down to Lake Burley Griffin for our packed lunch. We passed the 'Aboriginal Embassy' which is growing collection of tents on the lawns in front of Old Parliament House. It could have been the Aboriginal Ambassador, but one occupant of the tents wished us a 'Happy New Year' as we wandered past.We headed back up to the 'New' Parliament House and after passing through security, (empty pockets, all belongings pass through x- ray machine and you go through a metal detector like at the airport) we met Maria in the marble foyer.We booked onto one of the free official public tours at 2.00 pm and we were given clip on identification badges and then we went to another security desk to get access to the areas the public don't get to see....unless they pay $25 for  behind the scenes tour....but that is only limited access.Our photographic ID was checked, Maria signed us in and we were given another pass to wear. We than passed through another security area where Maria swiped her pass card and we had to show our passes to a very burly security woman, possibly an ex- shot putter who nodded approval."What are the rules for taking photographs through here?" Asked Maria."I'm not sure" grunted the ex-shot putter."It's OK. I will phone Security," said Maria.We passed through a sliding glass doorway and left the public area behind.The public basically have access to the foyer and level 1 of the building. We were able to explore the ground floors and Level 2 with Maria.She rang Security to check if I could take pictures. It was a very brief call and the answer was no unless I had applied for permission. So sorry folks but there are no photos from our behind the scenes tour which is a shame as there was some fantastic Contemporary Australian art work and lovely quiet outdoor courtyards that I would loved to have showed you. (I was able to take photos on the later public tour.)Maria showed us the gym and swimming pool then we headed to Maria's office in the Senate side of the building. We stopped off in one of the many shady courtyard areas that only the politicians, staff and a few birds get to enjoy.Back inside Maria headed towards an open door that had a sign saying 'Senators Only'."We'll go this way," she said."Excuse me Madam?" said a Security Guard lounging on a leather sofa nearby, with his feet stretched out, "You can't go through there.""But I have been through there hundreds of times," said Maria, "I work here in the Senate.""I'm sorry" said the almost horizontal guard, " you can't go through there, you will have to go round."Maria was exasperated but didn't make a fuss and we duly walked around a different way."It's not as if there were any Senators in there," she said, "they are all on holiday. We always go through that way. He was just showing off his muscles."She showed us at the other end the shorter way we would have taken. It was just a short passage through a conservatory-like room filled with empty leather sofas."Well, let's just go back out that way on the way back" I said. ( We didn't).Maria had to phone security again when she opened her office door so that they could cancel the alarm that would have gone off on their monitoring panel.She worked in the Whip's office right next to the President of the Senate's office. From there we wandered around the ground floor of the Senate building. All the carpet was red on the Senate side of the building as were the seats in the actual Senate Hall, that we would see later on the public tour.We couldn't actually enter the Senate Hall at ground level and even Maria was only allowed in a small section of it when it was in session.She showed us more of the lovely courtyards with fountains and a particular granite water feature that Tracy had wanted her to show us. She took us to where Tracy used to work, also on the Senate side but she had worked in the Office of the Prime Minister.Maria then took us to the Government part of the building at the back of Parliament House. Here the carpet is blue.They had had new security doors fitted since Maria had last been there. The Security Guard behind the desk said that they had finished being fitted last week. We couldn't go past them."It all changed under Tony Abbott," said Maria, "When I showed Mum round she sat in Julia Gillard's chair but we can't go in there anymore."We went to the central atrium which had a glass pyramid roof directly under the steel frame holding an Australian flag as big as a double decker bus that always flies above the building. Here at ground level was a central black marble water feature set in the white marble flooring. Water pumped up through the centre of the black marble square flowed over it and trickled over the edge. The whole atrium was filled with the calming, gentle sound of flowing water.We took the lift up to the second floor to view a some large ceramic wall panels depicting Australian rivers which were stunning and I was itching to sneak a photo but didn't want to get Maria into trouble.We peeped in the Members Dining Room and then it was time to head back for the Public Tour. Maria said that we could back after it and see more of 'behind the scenes.'By the time we got back out the 2.00 pm tour had started and was already seated in the balcony of the Great Hall. We tiptoed in and sat down apologetically. Eric was our guide.Canberra of course was built from scratch to be the Capital City after bickering between Melbourne and Sydney about who should be the capital. The design, chosen from many put forward, was by the American Architect, Walter Burley Griffin. At first Parliament was held in the now 'Old Parliament House' building which was built to house it for 50 years but that in the end housed it for 66 years before it moved to the present building.Some more people slipped in late including Deranie, Phoebe's Mum."Can you start again?" Asked a woman."No," said Eric.The present building was begun in 1980 and finished in 1988 and was opened by Queen Elizabeth in the Great Hall where we were sat. Architects worldwide submitted designs but the one chosen was by Romaldo Giurgola, an Italian - American. Capitol Hill was dug out and the building built within in it before the earth was put back to provide the sloping grass facade you see today.At the end of the Great Hall was a huge tapestry depicting the Australian bush."There are no people in it but there is a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo depicted just above the centre," said Eric.It made Will and I smile after suffering the cockatoo cacophony at Wee Jasper."Also you can see Halley's Comet depicted as it was passing over when the tapestry was created."We moved out of the Great Hall and Eric told us about the clocks. There were over 2000 in the building and when a vote is being called a green light flashes and the Members have 4 minutes to get into the House of Representatives before the doors are locked. He told us they chose four minutes initially because they took the oldest member of Parliament at the time to the furthest point away from the House of Representatives and timed him walking there. He did it in 3 minutes 45 seconds so if he could do it the rest could easily get there within 4 minutes. All the clocks were synchronised....it was weird to see the second hands in exactly the same place.We went and sat in the public gallery of the House of Representatives. The carpet and the seats on this side of the building were all green. They have copied a lot from the British Parliament, dispatch boxes, the mace, the speaker and Hansard (a written collection of every word that is spoken in the Houses).We passed some of the official portraits of past Prime Ministers in the main Atrium on Level 1. Eric said that they were still waiting for three new portraits to be added to the wall. Two were in progress, one for Kevin Rudd and one for Julia Gillard but Tony Abbott's was still to be commissioned. Eric showed us his present favourite portrait of the previous Governor General Dame Quentin Bryce.Lastly we went over to the Senate and sat in there. Eric pointed out another clock on the wall that he said was used to limit the length of speeches as it counted down how long Members had left to speak before their microphones would be switched off. He said this was introduced after one Member stood and spoke for over 12 hours."He's now showing people round a mine near Wee Jasper." I said to Will.Eric also pointed out the illuminated 'exit' sign which by rights should have had a green background by law....but it would have clashed with the colour scheme and so a special law was passed that allowed just that one sign to have a red background."Do you love your job?" Maria asked Eric as the tour filed out."I do," he said."You can tell," said Maria."I am clinging on to it though," said Eric. "There used to be 36 of us and now there are only 6 left. They want to change everything and bring in new people."It was all very sad. We all went to the desk and filled in feedback sheets, even Phoebe, saying how brilliant Eric had been on the tour with his enthusiasm and knowledge. We hope it helps him. We had a drink in the public cafe and went up on the roof terrace before Deranie left us.We went back 'behind the scenes with Maria. She showed us the library, and the press offices. Here there were rooms for all the television channels to broadcast up to date events to all of Australia and the World. This section was all a bit shabby and untidy ad could have done with some 'Nickification!'We wandered passed some of the Senators offices. They had a small window next to their door , a bit like a small shop window, which the Senators used to display posters and notices on subjects and issues they believed in and supported. We passed Jacqui Lambie's room, one of the Tasmanian Senators, who is always outspoken. One of the Senator's windows just displayed a portrait of Margaret Thatcher!Maria took us to Penny Wong's Office and frightened one of her office workers by peeping in. Penny Wong wasn't there but she had been Acting Leader of the Labour Party that week. Penny Wong is currently the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate and is one of those rare politicians who actually is articulate, speaks sensibly and fairly and hopefully one day will be the excellent Prime Minister Australia needs. She is also a lesbian...but we are not biased. We loved the photographic art that she had on her wall.Maria then took us through some of the courtyards on the House of Representatives side and we saw some more fabulous artwork that only the politicians and staff get to see. Maria said that there was an art department and that the art works on display are constantly changed.It was time to go and wandering back through the security doors and out into the foyer we found that all the public had left and the building was closed. Even Eric was gone....though not for good we hope.We thanked Maria for her time and company and left her to go back to close up her office. We handed in our passes at Security and passed back out of the metal detectors. We all beeped as we passed through but the security guards were not bothered they wanted to get home too.

Carey's Cave.

It seemed like a good idea at the time to venture underground......The caves are not open every day but were open on Wednesdays during school holidays. There were two tours one at 12.00 pm and one at 1.30 pm. We missed the 12.00 pm one so decided to go for the 1.30 pm one.The caves are in the middle of nowhere, up a dirt track and are presented without much fanfare. There were a few cars parked under trees beside some old sheds and a chalkboard with the times of the days tours.We arrived a bit early about 1.00 pm and sat with a group of other waiting people under a vine draped pergola. There was a large family group one of whom was a small boy with 'Bambam' top knot, like his Dad (and Will). He appeared to be the child from Hell as he tormented his family with the large green grasshopper he was holding, putting it in his Nana's bag, waving it in his mother's face, putting it on his Grandpa's head before pulling one of it's legs off. The family did and said nothing apart from one woman, an aunt perhaps, who asked'"Do they feel pain?""I hope not," said someone else.The boy proceeded to wander about with it before throwing it into the air a few times until finally he lost it.I couldn't help but think that if we were indeed headed into a disaster movie situation, trapped underground by a rockfall, these were the last people on Earth that I wanted to be with.The tour start deadline of 1.30 passed and still we waited. More people arrived,  to pad out the 'disaster movie' cast, including a token Indian family complete with sari wearing grandmother. We already had two 'Shelley Winters' types who were bound to get trapped in a tight squeeze. A young couple arrived on a motorcycle but after a further 15 minutes of waiting, called their agent, and left the movie whence they had come.At about 2.00 pm people emerged on the hillside and wandered down followed by bearded man who was obviously the guide. As he passed the shady pergola he said;"I'll be with you shortly folks"He wandered on to the old sheds and opened them up. People from the previous tour flocked in buying crisps and drinks and some of our cast wandered in to buy their tickets, so we went and got ours.It must have been 2.30 before Geoff, for that was his name, was ready to start our tour.We all wandered up the hill and he stopped us outside the door to the cave and proceeded to talk about the surrounding rock formations....I started to get a sense of foreboding at that point as he obviously preferred to use 100 words when most people could have said it in 10!We were all stood in a circle, not because, in such a group situation, it is easier to communicate and listen that way but because in the middle of the group there was a huge writhing nest of ants which was far more interesting than Geoff's waffle about limestone."These are the least visited caves in Australia" he said....I think I was beginning to see why.We eventually headed in and down the thirty or so wet steps into an illuminated cavern. I have to say it was much more spectacular than I was expecting.Geoff introduced us to some caving terms like stalactite and stalagmite with"Girls remember mites go up, tights go down. Boys you just have to remember tights go down."Geoff lived in the bush, he probably didn't see many other people, we were now his captive audience, trapped underground with him....it was going to be a long tour.In the second cavern there were lots of plastic chairs."I tell you what, there is no tour after this one, let's do something a bit different. Take a seat everyone."We didn't want to ....but we all did.The lights went out and we were plunged into darkness...except for a glimmer of light high up that was a shaft to the outside....then Geoff lit a candle. It was supposed to represent how the caves would have looked to the first explorers. He wittered on about seeing colour and relating it somehow to how people don't really look these days and railing against modern technology... I wasn't listening. I was wondering if I could get up that shaft to the outside. Geoff was lighting more candles."Can you see colour now?"I leaned over to Will sat next to me and whispered," We are trapped underground with a loony!"Geoff was holding 7 candles now......"Can you see colour?"We could see it at five but I think he was trying to show us how many candles he could hold in one hand. How far would he go? he stopped thankfully at 10. Hot wax was dripping down over his fingers and hand forming wax stalactites but he didn't flinch because he was without feeling. He had no empathy, no awareness of the feeling of others. He was a wax wielding psychopath.He allowed the children present to blow the candles out one by one. Phoebe blew out candle number 7. There were no children left. The two 'Shelley Winters' were sat behind us. He offered his wax covered hand to them. They blew out all three that were left. We all knew why.His monologue was over and we were allowed to explore the cavern. Suddenly it was filled with the sound of someone singing Amazing Grace. No, it wasn't Geoff....It was the younger of the two Indian women. She had a really lovely voice and I was amazed at her bravery in doing it. Geoff asked her to sing some more so she sang 'How Great Thou Art' and was awarded by a round of applause from the rest of the disaster movie cast."I can see you didn't marry her for her cooking," said Geoff to the husband, " you married her for her voice. I would marry a woman for her voice."I was certain at that point that the Indian woman's husband was probably going to be the first to die.Geoff called us down to some tables upon which there were various rocks. 'Oh No!'.....more talking.It was at this point that my camera died... it happened quietly but was unexpected and quite a shock to me....no one else noticed, they were all pretending to be interested in Geoff's rocks. I muttered a few choice words and buried my camera in my pocket. The guy next to me suddenly handed me a rock."There you go."I didn't know what it was or what to do with it so just held it until a small child came and relieved me of it.The two 'Shelley Winters' were still sat on the plastic chairs. If the talk had been on rock buns they might have been more interested but they were losing the will to live. Even the 'Devil Child' with the top knot had retreated to the arms of his father and was quietly whimpering.The rock talk over we headed deeper into the cave. It was quite spectacular to see all the weird formations created by water dripping through rocks. Geoff showed us a fossil of a sea creature....I think he had drawn it on the rock.He asked us if we liked the way he had lit one particular cavern. He was experimenting with it. Of course we all said we did...we hoped to get out alive."Well, there is just one more cavern left," said Geoff. I doubt mine was the only heart that leapt with joy. We all duly filed in.....it was a tight squeeze. He told us that the previous week he had come out of the cave after the first tour to find 85 people waiting for the second tour. It was a record apparently. I was impressed at how well he had concealed so many bodies down there....you wouldn't have a clue even if you were looking for them."We had just reached this point," he said, of the tour last week, "when all the lights went out and we were plunged into darkness and I had to leave everybody and go back out to switch the lights back on. They all coped very well with it," he said.I expected there were a few screams even from some of the men on that tour and I was sure I could still smell their fear even now....I could definitely smell something.One of the reviews I read on Tripadvisor, after our eventual escape (Oh, Damn! I've spoiled the ending) mentioned enduring a tour down there with a very smelly Frenchman which left the rest of the tour gagging. Perhaps it was he I could still smell."Right, well these ladies are a bit claustrophobic and are keen to get out," said Geoff, indicating the two 'Shelley Winters', " so head down the steps ladies and up to the right."I was following behind them as they negotiated the damp steps down and then up to the right.But arriving at the directed destination found it to be a dead end."Oh no!" said the biggest 'Shelley Winters' "this is where he kills us!""Yes," I added, " this is the caving version of 'Wolf Creek!"We all squeezed together again to hear Geoff's views on Global Warming and observe a damp pillar that was rarely as damp as it presently was.And then Geoff said, " Well, that's it." I was surprised when the Indian lady or at least her husband, didn't break into the 'Hallelujah Chorus.'"How far do you think we have come from the entrance?" Asked Geoff.I was thinking a kilometre. "800 metres?" Said Will."110 metres" said Geoff.No one could believe it.....why did it seem so much further? If he had asked how long we had been down there I would have said 'three days?'"Right make your way back out carefully," said Geoff.Most practically ran for the exit only to be thwarted at the last moment by the closed door at the entrance. The thirty damp steps up and out were crammed with a desperate backlog. People looked bewildered and voices ahead cried 'We can't open it.'"I have a hairclip," cried someone helpfully.Geoff didn't seem in a hurry to help. A bat began to fly about to add to the chaos and after 'three days' of being careful I hit my head on a low hanging rock.Eventually, someone must have got the door open for the 'cast' began to move upwards and we all spilled out into the light. One large gentleman bolted down the hill straight towards the toilets.The tour was supposed to take just over an hour but we had been down there nearly three!...that is almost the time it took me to sit my English Literature A level exam.....and I thought that was hellish!We went straight to Roxy and jumped in. The air conditioning belt squealed as she started up.Geoff was lumbering towards us."Your fan belt needs tightening.""You are not the first to tell us that," said Will."Where are you heading to?" Asked Geoff.Was there no escape?!"We are camping at Billy Grace Reserve," we said."Oh, not far," said Geoff. I wondered if we should have let that slip.We sped away from Carey's Cave and relished being out in the open once again. 

Wee Jasper.

So.....We spent two nights at the Billy Grace Reserve at Wee Jasper. It is about 90 minutes away from Canberra. Practically our whole time there was accompanied by the raucous calls of hundreds of sulphur crested cockatoos in the trees about us which eventually made me wish I had taken up archery or at least owned a sub machine gun.We found a quiet spot to camp, though the site was not too busy, but some of the other campers seemed to be in large family groups, incapable of walking to the shower block....they actually got in their cars and drove the 100 metres there and back again!Will scared one potential neighbour away by wildly playing his mandolin.On the Wednesday we drove up the valley for a short walk up Micalong creek and then travelled further along the dirt road to Tumut before heading back for lunch. After lunch we went to Carey's Caves.....and there was not much time left to do anything else after that!....(more on that later).We woke yesterday to the first blue sky since we have been down here and drove back to Canberra via Mountain Creek Rd, spotting an echidna on the way.It seems we made the right decision to head west. The coast has been inundated with rain and we watched on the news last night as some poor campers, still trapped by flood water, were brought extra supplies to tide them over until they can get out.